Mycoplasmal lipoprotein p37 binds human protein HER2

Mycoplasmas are a group of microbes that can cause human diseases. The mycoplasmal lipoprotein p37 promotes cancer metastasis, at least in part, by interacting with EGFR. In this study, we show that the p37 lipoprotein binds another member of the EGFR family, HER2, through the HER2 extracellular domain. The binding of p37-HER2 promotes phosphorylation of HER2 and activates the downstream signaling molecule Erk1/2. Because the HER2 signaling pathway contributes to breast tumor metastasis, our results imply that the mycoplasmal lipoprotein p37 may also be involved in breast cancer metastasis. This study contributes to our understanding of mycoplasmal lipoprotein p37 function and its potential involvement in tumorigenesis.